Wallichs Music City
Wallichs Music City was a record store in Hollywood, California, USA, founded by Glenn E. Wallichs, that also had stores in West Covina, Lakewood, Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, Torrance, and Hawthorne from 1940–1978 and was one of the first to display cellophane sealed albums in racks. Wallichs stayed open until 2 am. Glenn Wallichs Glenn Everett Wallichs, was born August 9, 1910 in Grand Island, Nebraska, to Union Pacific accountant Oscar Wallichs. In 1926, the family moved to North Hollywood. In 1932 Wallichs opened a radio shop in Los Angeles, later opening five other shops in the area. In the mid‐1930's he srarted two recording studios. In 1940, Wallichs opened Music City, at Sunset and Vine. In 1946, Wallichs left the business to his brother Clyde. Wallichs Music City closed in 1978. History | image3 =Eddie Cochran shuffling through albums at the Wallichs Music City }} It was located on the northwest corner of Sunset & Vine and operated from 1940 to 1978. Owner Glenn E. Wallichs had started Capitol Records, along with Tin Pan Alley songsmith Johnny Mercer and ex-Paramount movie producer Buddy De Sylva from a small office a little further south down Vine Street in 1942, and moved to larger offices above the store in 1946. After Capitol Records moved into the Capitol Tower in 1956 the offices become the home of Dot Records. In an era when most recorded music was sold through Mom & Pop general stores across the USA, Wallichs Music City became the premier record store in Southern California and the world's largest specialist record store. As the market for recorded music evolved during the 1950s and 1960s, it was a place to go for tickets, sheet music, vinyl (initially 78s, then LP's & 45's) and tapes (8 track and cassette). They also sold TVs and musical instruments. It was one of the first-known music stores to seal record albums in cellophane and put them in display racks for customers to browse. The racks were tabletop height trapezoid-shaped browser boxes (designed by Capitol Records' Frederick Rice) that allowed the covers they contained to be viewed like a card index without damaging the sleeves. The store was also the first to have demonstration booths for listening to records. The store became a well-known hub of the LA music scene. Music fans flocked there to meet artists like Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Johnny Mercer, Nat King Cole to have them sign sheet music of their latest hits. Frank Zappa worked part-time there in 1965, as a salesman in the singles department. Zappa, Frank. The Real Frank Zappa Book. London: Picador, 1989. p. 61 Radio ads featured Wallich, who would sing the jingle "It's Music City" (to the first notes of Rock-A-Bye-Baby with the following four bars covered by a jazz ensemble), followed by news of specials, upcoming events, etc. The Pleasures, a vocal group, recorded a song, Music City. Bibliography * “Wallichs Maps Plans to Expand Disk Outlets.” Billboard, Dec 1, 1956, p. 15 * Leap, Norris. “One Day Wallichs Awoke, Found Himself Millionaire.” Los Angeles Times, Jan 5, 1959. * “Wallichs Buys 3d Disk Outlet in L.A. Area.” Billboard, Apr 6, 1959, p. 3 * Alpert, Don. “Stereo.” Los Angeles Times, Feb 28, 1960 * “$127 Million in Downtown Projects Okd.” Los Angeles Times, June 24, 1960 * “Wallichs Will Mark 30th Anniversary.” Los Angeles Times, Dec 11, 1960 * Zhito, Lee. “Wallichs’ Music City Lifts Policy; to Cut LP Prices.” Billboard, January 30, 1961, p. 2 * “Dealers Air LP Discount Views.” Billboard, Mar 13, 1961, p. 18 * Zhito, Lee. “Earphone Doubles Music City Sales.” Billboard, November 6, 1961, p. 22 * “Music Firm Will Build In Torrance.” Los Angeles Times, Jun 30, 1963 * “Clyde Wallichs Sells Interest in Music City to Other Stockholders.” Billboard, March 2, 1963, p. 8 * “6,000 Attend Store Opening.” Los Angeles Times, Nov 24, 1963 * “Coast Chain Starts Selling Components.” Billboard, December 14, 1963 * “Business Wrap-Up.” Billboard, July 4, 1964, p. 35 * Tiegel, Eilot. “Los Angeles Market Booms.” Billboard, Oct 17, 1964, p. 40 * “Airway Saturation.” Billboard, Oct 17, 1964, p. 40 * “Organ Hobby Lesson Plan Now Available.” Los Angeles Times, Apr 4, 1965 * “Music City Buys Chain.” Billboard, July 15, 1967, p. 19 * Weber, Bruce. “8th Wallichs is Opened.” Billboard, Nov 11, 1967, p. 62 * Turpin, Dick. “New Kind of ‘Downtown’ in Making.” Los Angeles Times, Mar 10, 1968 * Freedland, Nat. “Wallichs’ ‘New Look’ Spurs Music City Chain’s Profits.” Billboard, December 18, 1971, p. 3 * “Capitol Records Head, Glenn E. Wallichs, Dies.” Los Angeles Times, Dec 24, 1971 * Dexter, Dave. “Glenn E. Wallichs—A Fond Farewell.” Billboard, January 8, 1972, p. 3 * “Wallichs Music Filed For Protection Under Chapter 11.” Los Angeles Times, Mar 9, 1977. * Sippel, John. “Wallichs Stores File Bankruptcy.” Billboard, Mar 19, 1977, p. 10 * Siegel, Barry. “It’s Bankruptcy Blues at Music City.” Los Angeles Times, March 29, 1977 * Sippel, John. “Investor Quartet Refloats Wallichs.” Billboard, May 14, 1977, p. 5 * Tepper, Ron. “The Eyes of the Industry Watch L.A. Retailing.” Billboard, November 15, 1980, p. LA-46 * Ryon, Ruth. “Merv Griffin Buys Hollywood Corner.” Los Angeles Times, Nov 3, 1983 * Ryon, Ruth. “Developers Gamble on Spring Fever.” Los Angeles Times, Oct 12, 1986. * Grein, Paul. “The Story So Far, From the Beginning.” Billboard, Jun 13, 1992, p. 48 * Hoskyns, Barney. Waiting For the Sun – The Story of the Los Angeles Music Scene, Viking, 1996 * * * * * * * * * * * References External links * Wallichs Music City - Alison Martino's "Vintage Los Angeles" * Wallichs Music City - Getty Images Category:1940 establishments in California Category:1978 disestablishments in California Category:Companies based in Los Angeles Category:Music retailers of the United States Category:Retail companies established in 1940 Category:Retail companies disestablished in 1978